Translated from Português (Brazil) • View original We are used to working in companies that adopt the 5x2 scale, where the working day is usually from Monday to Friday. Some companies still adopt the 6x1 scale, with scheduled days off and sometimes they are not fixed days. Can you imagine if we could gain an extra day on the weekend, adopting a 4x3 scale? Well, some reference companies are already testing this novelty. They have already put into practice this new work 'scheme' aiming to prioritize the quality of life of their employees and at the same time increase the productivity of their company. But is this idea working? Let's read a little more about it! Labor rules x reduced scale In Brazil, labor rules determine that employees must comply with a 44-hour workweek. But these hours represent the limit of hours worked and the good part is that the form of division is not determined, which allows more flexibility for companies. However, in the case of the 4x3 scale, we are talking about a special working day that means a reduction from the traditional work schedule. Instead of employees spending 44 hours a week working, it would be 32 hours. For this to be feasible and for this change and implementation to occur, it is necessary for the category's union to authorize the change, but currently not all segments approve of an atypical working day. Therefore, companies thinking of adopting this scale need to be in contact with professionals who understand the subject and seek legal support that will verify if the change is possible. In this case, we are talking about changes in the employment contract and several other factors need to be discussed in addition to needing union approval. In Brazil, we still have a small number of companies that have already adopted this practice, but the trend is that this subject will continue to be studied. Why has this subject been gaining strength? Some countries in Europe did the test with reduced working hours and after verifying that in addition to contributing to the employee's well-being, productivity increased, such companies adopted this practice. You may know someone who has already had a very high stress peak due to extreme exhaustion, often leading to physical and especially mental exhaustion. We are talking about a term called Burnout, some professionals who have a position of great responsibility or even employees who work in companies with a very high demand for tasks, run the risk of having this professional burnout. Some research warns about the risk of being workaholic (giving too much of oneself for work), which can lead to burnout. The well-being of employees should be one of the priorities of the company's management, since they are the ones who make the company turn. This is one of the reasons that made the discussion about the reduced work schedule gain more strength. Benefits of the reduced scale Some benefits have already been proven by companies that took the test and adopted this new working day. The positive points highlighted were: - Increased productivity The fact that the working day is shorter does not mean that your company's productivity will decrease. On the contrary, this is a highlight among the benefits. Productivity has increased significantly, one of the reasons is that employees feel valued and belong to the company. This ends up strengthening the bond between employee and company. Some research points out that this is one of the reasons that make the team go to work more motivated. - Quality of life for employees It is great to be able to say that the concern with the quality of life of employees is increasing more and more. The search for providing a healthy work environment is gaining strength. With more time to take care of their mental and physical health, and to dedicate to their personal life, the employee does not demand as much from work. - Use of time efficiently Having fewer working hours, the team can focus more on their activities because the time to perform them is shorter. That is, time is not spent on inefficient tasks and it can also be beneficial to not have so many distractions with social networks, for example.